Barbie Will Now Come In "Tall", "Petite" And "Curvy" Body Shapes

Barbie - whose body-type has long been known to be a physical impossibility, defying the laws of gravity and general human composition – will now come in new shapes and sizes.

Mattel has revealed three new looks to go alongside Barbie Classic (or "Original", as they're now calling her): "tall", "petite" and "curvy".

The new Barbies will be available as part of the Fashionista line and come with seven skin tones, 22 eye colours and 24 hair styles.

Here is a very, unnecessarily intense video displaying some of the updated Barbie looks.

Mattel President and CEO Richard Dickson said in a statement, “[Barbie’s] ability to evolve and grow with the times, while staying true to her spirit, is central to why Barbie is the number one fashion doll in the world.”

His statements aside, these changes to the Barbie brand are widely considered a response by Mattel to declining sales.

(According to the Wall Street Journal, Barbie sales have slipped for eight consecutive quarters.)

No doubt they're hoping a diverse range of Barbies will help appeal to a much larger base of young consumers who previously felt disenfranchised (ironically, by this historically non-inclusive plaything).

The announcement follows the success of Ava Duvernay’s own Barbie. A limited edition doll based on the award-winning Selma director sold out minutes after going on sale in 2015.

Late last year, Mattel also made an ad featuring a little boy playing with Barbie. It was the first time they had done so in their advertising history.

Recently, we asked if Barbie was a good role model. Given these new developments, what do you think now?